Friday, 3 July 1992 Washington, DC
1. THE APS EXECUTIVE BOARD ISSUES STATEMENT ON THE
SUPERCOLLIDER!
Reacting to the 232-181 House vote to kill
the SSC (WN 19 Jun 92), the Executive
Board released the following statement:
The Executive Board of the American Physical Society is
dismayed by the recent vote of the House of Representatives
to terminate funding for the Superconducting Supercollider.
While we strongly reaffirm the position of the APS Council
that funding for the SSC not come at the expense of the broad
base of American science, termination of the SSC would
seriously disrupt progress in elementary particle physics.
Moreover, taken at this late point, cancellation of such a
highly visible project would send a message to the world that
the United States is relinquishing its long standing
commitment to fundamental scientific research. Such a
perception could not fail to have serious consequences for
the long-term interests of the Nation. (26 June 1992)
2. HASTILY CALLED SENATE HEARING ON SSC ENDS IN A SCORELESS
TIE.
The race is on to to restore the Supercollider in the
Senate. All the high-energy physics pooh-bahs were on hand to
demonstrate unity. The hearing opened with J. Bennett Johnston
(D-LA), Chair of the Energy and Water Appropriations
Subcommittee, challenging the claim that killing the SSC will
help control the deficit. If all science projects in the DOE were
eliminated, he argued, it would reduce the budget only 0.2%.
Entitlements, which account for 60% of the budget and counting,
are the real problem. The opposition to the SSC was led by Sen.
Dale Bumpers (D-AR), who objected that the witnesses represented
only one side of the debate. Bumpers appeared to acknowledge
that eventual Japanese support for the project is likely, but
said Japan is planning to take the funds from its foreign aid
account rather than science.
3. SSC IS ON AGENDA FOR TRADE TALKS BETWEEN BUSH AND
MIYAZAWA.
According to a White House source, the SSC was
discussed on Wednesday, but if anything was decided, it wasn't
mentioned by Miyazawa in a talk at the National Press Club the
next day. Will Happer, the director of research at DOE, states
flatly that Japan will participate, but negotiating the details
just takes time.
4. APS OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS JUST DODGES THE WRECKING
BALL!
The OPA, which among other things issues What's New,
has been in the American Geophysical Union Building in Washington
for the past five years, but AGU decided to tear the old building
down and rebuild. We got out just ahead of the wreckers. We
have no furniture yet, but our computer is working. Our new
address is:
The American Physical Society phone: (202) 662-8700
529 14th Street, N.W., #1050 FAX: (202) 662-8711
Washington, DC 20045 e-mail: OPA@AIP.bitnet
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